The present invention generally relates to the field of global positioning system receivers, and more specifically to an apparatus and method of determining an orientation of a global positioning system receiver.
Global positioning system (GPS) receivers provide accurate location, velocity and time information based on specially coded data broadcast from orbiting satellites. Additionally, data may be broadcast from positions on the earth using terrestrial based transmitters transmitting data similar to the specially coded data broadcast from orbiting satellites.
A global positioning system (GPS) receiver may use this data to determine what compass direction the receiver is traveling, such as north, south, east, west, and the like. For example, a global positioning system (GPS) receiver may determine a first location point and a second location point that the receiver is moved to, and then utilize the two points to compute the direction heading. However, a global positioning system (GPS) receiver is not able to determine a compass direction the receiver is headed without some movement of the global positioning system (GPS) receiver. Thus, a stationary global positioning system (GPS) receiver is unable to determine a heading.
Additionally, although the position of the global positioning system receiver is able to be determined utilizing the specially coded data, the orientation of the global positioning system (GPS) receiver at that position is unable to be determined. For example, a typical global positioning system (GPS) receiver is able to determine the location at which the antenna of the global positioning system (GPS) receiver acquired the data, but is not able to determine the orientation of the global positioning system (GPS) receiver at that location, such as facing north in two dimensions, and pitch and roll in three dimensions.
Thus, it would be desirable to provide an apparatus and method of determining an orientation of a global positioning system receiver.
Accordingly, the present invention is directed to an apparatus and method of determining an orientation of a global positioning system receiver. In a first aspect of the present invention, a method of determining an orientation of an object including a directional antenna of a global positioning system receiver includes acquiring a position of a global positioning system transmitter. An orientation of the directional antenna of the global positioning system receiver is determined with respect to the global positioning system transmitter, the determined orientation of the direction antenna corresponding to the object so as to enable the orientation of the object to be determined.
In a second aspect of the present invention, a method of determining an orientation of a directional antenna of a global positioning system receiver includes acquiring a position of a global positioning system transmitter and resolving a position of a directional antenna of a global positioning system receiver. An orientation of the directional antenna of the global positioning system receiver is determined with respect to the global positioning system transmitter wherein the orientation of the directional antenna with respect to the global positioning system transmitter is suitable for being utilized for determining an orientation of the directional antenna in space.
In a third aspect of the present invention, an apparatus suitable for determining an orientation relative to a global positioning system transmitter includes a global positioning system receiver suitable for resolving a position of the global positioning system receiver by receiving signals from the global positioning system transmitter. The global positioning system receiver is also suitable for acquiring a position of the global positioning system transmitter by receiving signals from the global positioning system transmitter. A directional antenna is also included, the orientation device suitable for determining the orientation of the apparatus with respect to the global positioning system transmitter.
In a fourth aspect of the present invention, a method of determining an orientation of a directional antenna of a global positioning system receiver includes positioning the global positioning system receiver in a known plane. A position of a first global positioning system transmitter and a second global positioning system transmitter is acquired. An orientation is then determined of the directional antenna of the global positioning system receiver with respect to the first global positioning system transmitter and the second global positioning system transmitter.
In a fifth aspect of the present invention, a method of determining an orientation of a directional antenna of a global positioning system receiver includes acquiring a position of a first global positioning system transmitter, a second global positioning system transmitter and a third global positioning system transmitter. An orientation of the directional antenna of the global positioning system receiver is then determined with respect to the first global positioning system transmitter, the second global positioning system transmitter, and the third global positioning system transmitter.
In a further aspect of the present invention, an internal navigation system suitable for use in determining an orientation of a vehicle includes a global positioning system receiver suitable for resolving a position of the global positioning system receiver by receiving signals from a constellation of global positioning system transmitters and also suitable for resolving a position of the global positioning system transmitter by receiving signals from the global positioning system transmitter. A directional antenna is also included, the directional antenna suitable for determining the orientation of the directional antenna with respect to at least one global positioning system transmitter, the determined orientation suitable for figuring the orientation of the vehicle in space.
It is to be understood that both the forgoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the invention as claimed. The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate an embodiment of the invention and together with the general description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.